The Big Dip
The Big Dip Channel Swim
Fundraising for We Are Beams
Story
Welcome to the donation page for the Big Dip Channel Swim. We are thrilled to have you here and are very grateful for your interest and support.
The Challenge
This summer Kevin, Tom, Ryan and I will be braving the elements to take on our biggest swim since attaining our 25-metre badge back in primary school.
The four of us are undertaking the Cross Channel Swimming Associations 4-man relay attempt across the English Channel.
The swim will start from the beaches of Dover and hopefully end a staggering 21 miles later somewhere along the French coast. Upon this feat we will tackle choppy cold sea conditions, passing vessels, marine life some of which may be friendly, some not so much, plenty of sea sickness, chaffing in all kinds of places, the risk of hypothermia (remember only speedos allowed!!) and no doubt contemplating all our life decisions leading up to this point.
My family and I are so touched and will be forever indebted to the guys for taking on this unbelievable challenge alongside myself, which they signed up to in an instant all because of one very special little boy.
Rupert
Rupert is our beautiful 10-year-old son who absolutely adores being in the water and no doubt wishes he could ride alongside the 'Big Dippers' watching out for sharks and all other kinds of scary sea creatures that might tag along during the swim.
Along with his love of water and absolutely everything Disney, you'll find a very sweet, loving little boy with a cheeky sense of humour who like his father spends most of his time showing off his 'gymnastic' prowess and love of movement and music in front of the mirror or to any willing audience.
Rupert is also Autistic which comes with lots of challenges and unpredictability on day-to-day life for not only himself but also his family which is compounded by the fact that he is non-verbal. Due to his challenges Rup's requires a lot of extra support and attention as he tries to navigate the world around him and probably will throughout the rest of his life. Which includes everything from his personal care to helping him achieve a life full of opportunity and promise.
When you become a parent you have an inbuilt wish list of dreams and milestones that you imagine ticking off as your children go through life; first words, making friends, playing rugby for the same club as your father and grandfather played for when they were young, a first kiss, going through school and getting a job to getting married and having their own children to name just a few. Obviously we have had to re-imagine what lies ahead for Rupert, which we can honestly say is something we struggle with and sadly always will.
Life can be extremely hard for children like Rupert but it's also very hard on the rest of the family. We miss out on an awful lot of opportunities and experiences, ranging from the mundane to the exceptional. As supportive parents it has become our greatest challenge in life to try and bridge that gap as much as we can. This is where the amazing people at our charitable partner We Are Beams step in.
Charity
We Are Beams was originally set up in 1996 by a group of parents who believed that they could deliver better support for their disabled children than that of which they were getting from the local authority.
They provide comprehensive support services to children and young people with any form of physical, learning or sensory impairment. They also offer a much-needed family advice service where they ensure parents and carers receive the right information to help them make better informed decisions regarding their disabled children.
We know all too well how hard school holidays can be for children that depend on routine and who cannot fully access other local activities available to families, this is where Beams can help with their short breaks service which offer a range of leisure activities and holiday clubs as well as their Dragons Retreat respite unit where they provide overnight care which promotes independent living skills in a fun home-from-home environment as well as allowing the rest of the family a much needed break.
Thank you for reading our story
We are very grateful and appreciative for your donation and support. Don't forget you can follow along on instagram where you'll be able to see how the training is going and hopefully track our journey on the big day.
Much love
Stuart, Kevin, Tom & Ryan
(Sarah, Effie & Rupert)
xxx